


In Progress

by agentsandcanaries



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Adhd Daisy Johnson, Autistic Bobbi Morse, Diabetes, Disability, Gen, autistic Jemma Simmons
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-22
Updated: 2017-12-04
Packaged: 2019-01-21 03:01:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 10,486
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12448308
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/agentsandcanaries/pseuds/agentsandcanaries
Summary: The adventures of Mama May looking after her three disabled daughters, helping them and dealing with everyday life





	1. Chapter 1

May could see Bobbi was uncomfortable in her chair, her eyes held that zoned out look as she clearly only pretended to listen to Hunter as he rambled on about a new movie he wanted to see. Occasionally she would calmly let it wash over it, focused on her own thoughts of her special interests buzzing around in her head, but May knew the girl well by now and could distinguish between her looks to know which was currently happening. A quick glance over to Jemma showed that the scientist wasn’t fairing much better either, picking at her nails even though they were already worn down which May knew was a nervous tick of hers. Daisy meanwhile was searching the room for something, looking in every place before she seemed to get suddenly hungry whilst looking in the kitchen cupboards and starting to boil some water with a bag of pasta in her other hand. So, two overwhelmed autistics and a person with adhd who had potentially forgotten to take her meds going off her behaviours. She needed to get her daughters out of there. Thankfully, since it was getting late the others seemed to be tiring and heading off so she stepped over to Bobbi first, giving Jemma a calming smile on her way there. She relieved her of the conversation and then gestured for Jemma to come stand with them. Once Hunter had left, she set about carefully taking Daisy away from the stove.

“Mom, I’m starving! I need food!” Daisy whined, trying to shimmy away from the gentle hold Bobbi had on her shoulder.

“You need your meds, and your blood sugars testing. If they’re low we will make you a nutrition powder milkshake.” May told her matter of factly. She had enough nutrition powder to last her a lifetime since she had one daughter with Ednos who struggled with eating, one with celiacs who had to follow a strict gluten free diet and one diabetic daughter who struggled occasionally at the best of times to keep a healthy diet let alone when she was off her adhd meds.

Daisy groaned at this as Bobbi gently guided her away from the stove she had wandered to again and convinced her she would feel better once she had taken her meds, and that yes they really could all tell she had forgotten to take them.

They reached the room they all used, it was basically two rooms that had been made into one big one with 2 double beds and a spare single as well as a couch in case the girls needed their own space. Otherwise, Bobbi and Jemma would snuggle in one and May held Daisy in the other, feeling like she was protecting her sweet youngest from the cruelty of the world at least just for a little while.

Bobbi and Jemma sat down on their bed, signing to each other. May knew this was another way to tell they were both overwhelmed since they usually would resort to signing then. Bobbi seemed to add words in occasionally though Jemma was sticking purely to sign and come to think of it hadn’t said a word since they had been in the lounge so May figured she had gone non verbal. She made a mental note to keep checking up on her whilst she tended to Daisy because her poor girl could potentially be on the verge of a meltdown. 

Daisy flopped down on her bed with a dramatic sigh, searching the bedside drawer for snacks May rolled her eyes and managed to divert her, holding out the pills. She watched as Daisy swallowed them and ruffled her hair lovingly which made the girl smile. That smile, it was one of the three smiles that meant the most to her and she would never tire of it. She retrieved the blood sugar monitor and an insulin injection.

“Is it the time of day I get stabbed by my own dear mother?” Daisy said in a dramatic voice, feigning hurt. May couldn’t help but smile and roll her eyes at her daughters overdramtics. She quickly pricked the girls finger and checked the number on the readout, sighing at what she saw.

“You’re low” she said, practically throwing the nutrition bar at her daughters head.  
“Sorry mama” Daisy said, sounding a little deflated as she unwrapped the bar and began eating it. May kissed the top of her head.

“It’s okay sweetheart, I know you’ve been doing so much better lately with that but I think being off your meds really didn’t help in the remembering to eat thing” May said. She was going to wait for Daisy to finish her bar and settle out anyway before she administered her nightly insulin shot but Bobbi tapped her on the shoulder anyway. She turned around and looked over at Jemma who was rocking and flapping and making slight noises of distress. She hadn’t wanted to be right about Jemma having been heading towards a meltdown which now looked to be in full effect but part of her was glad that her maternal instincts still worked so strongly after everything she and her girls had been through.

“Her newer chew necklace broke, she’s chewed through it and she refuses to take the other one” Bobbi told her. May went over to see Jemma and comfort her, whilst Bobbi talked with Daisy. 

May rocked Jemma carefully and soothingly, getting things sorted out she retrieved a different chew for the girl and got her settled before she went back over to Daisy. She got the insulin shot and had the girl lie down flat on the bed. She gently rolled up her top to gain access to her lower abdomen where the shot would be injected. Positioning the needle correctly, she carefully injected the syringe in and held it for the correct count before removing it and putting it in the sharps box on her dresser. She kissed Daisy on the forehead who looked like she was content to just lie on the bed now rather than get up again so she allowed her to do so and went back to see Bobbi and Jemma. The smaller girl had now calmed down and was curled up against her taller girls chest, comfort blanket in one hand whilst sucking on a soft mushroom shaped chew necklace that May kept safe for emergencies like when hers had broken. Bobbi herself seemed a little rattled, taking deep measured breaths.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is a flashback to before the s3 premiere which deals with Bobbi’s recovery

The girls were overjoyed to have Bobbi back in their room tonight. She still had one surgery left to go but that was some repair work on her lung that couldn’t be done until it had healed over some first from the other surgeries. May pushed the wheelchair, her strength always surprised them though they knew she was strong since she was capable of taking down men three times her size. Jemma was keeping up pace beside the chair, her hand in Bobbi’s as she regaled the girl with a tale of something that had happened in the lab earlier. Bobbi seemed to be letting it wash over her but in a contented way rather than an overwhelmed way. 

They reached the room and Jemma opened the door to allow May to push Bobbi in. Daisy was already sat in there and squealed as soon as she saw them. She ran over to hug the taller girl, May had to remind her to be a little more careful as Bobbi was still sore but the smile on both their faces seemed worth it. Jemma was happy flapping beside them, arms fluttering at her sides and Melinda just took in the sight of her girls finally happy for the first time in weeks. They all worked together in order to get Bobbi comfortable and settled down on the bed, making sure to avoid putting any pressure on her wounds and avoid causing her any unnecessary pain.

Melinda just watched them for a little while as the three cuddled up on the double bed, both Daisy and Jemma seemed to be hanging off the bed slightly at either side so they could all fit but they were being careful not to press into Bobbi so they wouldn’t hurt her. She loved just watching them be with each other, checking the time after a while she walked over.

“Right girls, it’s getting late. We need to do your insulin Daisy” she said, directing the last part just at the daughter in question who pulled a sulky face but skilfully jumped off the bed and made her way to theirs. Jemma stayed curled up next to Bobbi, who very gently shifted along slightly so that the girl could have enough room on the bed without hanging off the edge. The blonde watched curiously as Melinda prepared a syringe, sure she’d seen this happen plenty of times before though it always did make her cringe a little given her dislike of needles. However, now it felt different. Her chest started to feel tight, her eyes started to feel fuzzy and her ears hurt as the sound of Ward taunting her rang through them. She screwed her eyes shut but all she saw was his face, all she could feel was the tingling burning sensations in her fingertips as needles slid in and Ward laughed and she tried to scream yet no sound came out. She was gasping for breath, unaware of a person next to her until her mind could focus enough to pick out that there was a voice nearby that wasn’t Ward. May was sat on the bed next to her, with Jemma having gone over to lie next to Daisy as not to disturb them and to let their mom help calm the panic attack.

“It’s okay love, it’s okay” May comforted Bobbi, gently rubbing her arm. She noticed how the girl had focused on the scarring of her fingers. It made her shudder involuntarily, piecing together what had happened from the clues. That bastard, he made her feel sick. She held Bobbi a little tighter, glancing over to the other girls where Jemma had curled up to Daisy’s side now. She gave them a small smile, an unspoken arrangement that just for tonight the sleeping arrangements would change to allow May a chance to comfort Bobbi for the night to help ease her nightmares.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for your comments so far if there’s anything you want to see let me know


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An exploration of each girl in turn and their disabilities, how they were diagnosed and how it affects their lives

The way their different neurodivergencies and physical disabilities/ health conditions affected her three girls was something that May thought about sometimes. It was interesting to observe them, occasionally picking up some new tips on things that might work to help them.

There was Jemma - diagnosed autistic as a child her impressive intellect and two phds meant she was well versed but socially she lagged behind by quite a margin. She had a fair few meltdowns and occasionally complete shutdowns and Melinda had quickly gotten into a pattern of what would be of most use during those times. She had amassed a nice selection of chew toys and sensory objects that Jemma liked. Occasionally after a mission, if Jemma couldn’t be found she would be curled up somewhere small and dark, the foetal position helping to calm herself. Usually during this May would drape a blanket over her and either come back to check on her periodically or move her gently to their room if she was somewhere unsafe. The ednos came out of her time inside Hydra, Jemma was paranoid about food thinking it was spiked with a brainwashing drug and it took a while for her to slowly begin recovery. Then the monolith happened and if she’s honest Melinda is still trying to heal up the mess that ordeal left behind. Jemma tended to go non verbal before a meltdown, when she was overwhelmed and/or completely stressed out. May plus the other two and Fitz had learnt BSL to be able to interact with her during this, and May herself knew this was a warning sign for a meltdown might be about to happen so she could make sure Jemma was somewhere safe or at least had some methods of coping to hand.

Then there was Bobbi - of the three she was the hardest to read sometimes but May had picked up on most of her little quirks and behaviours. Bobbi’s autism hadn’t been picked up until her late teens, it resulted in some behaviours that could be viewed as odd by the rest of the team and Bobbi had a particular habit of bolting which meant whenever she could tell the girl was panicking May would make sure she would only go into safe areas rather than outside. She knew it was Bobbi’s way of coping and didn’t want to take that away from her or do something way too drastic and unethical like install a tracker, just like Jemma if she hid in unsafe places May simply wanted to keep her girls safe. Generally Bobbi didn’t seem to meltdown very often or use stim toys, though May had bought her a couple and gradually introduced them to get her comfortable with stimming. She knew the girl had never been allowed to be openly autistic and so would often put all her energy into “passing” as neurotypical and constantly stop herself from stimming but the older woman was teaching her daughter that it was okay and she was allowed to stim and feel things and not have to put on her act at least whilst they were safe on the base. She had learnt BSL fluently as well as ASL, Bobbi seemed to have a special interest in languages and linguistics. She often signed with Jemma when the girl was non verbal or sometimes just when the situation meant it was easier for them, Bobbi found it easier to sort through her thoughts in sign. Her celiacs meant that her diet was restricted, she had a special area to prepare and store her food in to try prevent contamination as much as possible. The others would still make gluten free dinners for the group so that Bobbi could join in which she appreciated and May learnt through trial and error the best place to get gluten free pizzas which she knew Bobbi appreciated. On the fairly rare times that Bobbi did struggle having eaten gluten without realised or eating something contaminated, she would help her settle in bed with a hot water bottle and pain killers and a sick bucket and help her through it as best she could.

Daisy was a unique situation, neither her adhd or diabetes were diagnosed until she came to live on the bus. May was in a way greatful that the girls diabetes was late onset type 1, as she dreaded to think what it would’ve been like for the girl to be diagnosed in childhood and if she would even had been looked after properly in the orphanage. At least now Daisy had a good support system in place, the others that she spent a lot of her time with during missions had learnt to pick up on if her blood sugar had soared high and dropped low and emergency kits were stashed around to make sure they would be able to deal with the situation in no time. It was a weird routine to have giving or at least supervising your daughter 4 shots of insulin a day. But they had made it work, for the most part it didn’t seem to faze Daisy. Some days she would make sarcastic jokes or comments about the injections, Melinda knew this was usually to hide her nerves and tried to make it run smoother and faster on those days. There was also a routine for her adhd meds, this seemed to have the most impact on her organisational skills and her impulsive actions which sometimes lead to bad consequences, plus the fact she was extremely fidgety never liking to have to stay still and focus for a long time. May felt like she was constantly tidying up after Daisy, and when she was off her meds she would get exaggeratedly hyperactive and usually extremely hungry. This didn’t seem to happen so often now that May had finally found some organisational tips that could benefit her livewire daughter, and she didn’t make a big deal of it when Daisy had lost her sunglasses for the fifth time that week or gotten half way through a project then been distracted for a while.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wasn’t planning on updating so soon but this just kinda happened so hope you enjoy it anyway


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> May looks after Daisy after the events of 3x02 and the portal

Jemma was safe, she was alive and here and now resting in the containment pod for a little while just to ensure her safety. She was curled up to Bobbi on the bed in there almost like they would in their own, and that made Daisy smile a tiny bit. It felt like a little part of something normal again, she knew that Bobbi would not want to leave Jemma’s side for a while and the doctors were wise in letting her stay. Least she was there to protect Jemma, she was better at that than Daisy. The small brunette gave a final glance through the window, turning around she bumped into May.

“They’re both sleeping, Jemma didn’t need quarantine. She’s just in there for safety, but Bobbi will stop with her and look after her” Daisy told May and the woman gave a quick glance through the window before nodding.

“How are you?” May asked her and it took Daisy by surprise a little. Nobody had really asked how she was doing, their focus had been solely on Jemma who clearly was in need of help and support. Daisy didn’t begrudge that at all but she had fainted and had a fairly bad nose bleed along with some lingering general weakness in her limbs all from the portal. Daisy explained this to May and felt her eyes well up. She turned her face to lightly cry into the woman’s shoulder, the woman surprised her by lifting her up into her arms and carrying her to the now nearly refurbished med bay. They had gotten a new doctor in when Jemma was missing since although Bobbi could do things she had limits with her injury plus they had successfully argued the case with hq that two doctors would be highly beneficial.

“Can you give her a check up? She was experiencing dizziness, bleeding from the nose and weakness in her limbs from our mission, she also passed out once” May told the doctor and Daisy simply lay there reaching for Mays hand. The doctor ran the tests they normally would during a physical - checking her eyes and ears, listening to her heartbeat and testing her reflexes. Everything seemed to come back normal which confirmed May’s theory that it was caused by the monolith. 

“Just let her rest calmly for a little while, if she starts bleeding or passes out again then bring her straight back but I think those were only temporary caused by being in that environment so they shouldn’t happen again or have left any damage” the doctor say and May nodded, thanking him before helping Daisy back to the room.

Daisy lay down on the bed and May sat down next to her, gently stroking her hair. Daisy smiled a little at the soothing motion, her mind was racing and she tapped the woman’s shoulder, doing the sign for “medication” as she was too tired to speak and figured from her feeling somewhat off that it was slightly past the time she should’ve taken them. May smiled a little and kissed her forehead before getting up to retrieve the meds and a glass of water. She helped Daisy to sit up, careful not to set off any dizziness again she watched the girl quickly swallow her pills before she rested her head on the older woman’s shoulder.

“Thanks for looking after me mom” Daisy said after a little while and she got a genuine warm smile from May in return.

“Of course, I’ll always look after you. You’re my baby girl, you and Jemma and Bobbi are my life and I would do anything to make sure you girls are safe and happy” May told her sincerely “How about we quickly do your insulin injection and then watch a movie in bed before we head off to sleep” 

“I’d like that” Daisy said quietly, and May retrieved the items as Daisy picked out a movie on Netflix for them. She lay down again when the woman returned, letting her inject her stomach her mind wandered as she felt the needle go in and back out and May then getting into bed beside her, pressing play on the remote. The opening bars began to play as Daisy snuggled up to her mom. She was overwhelmingly relieved that Jemma was home, and Bobbi was recovering well too, and she was grateful for being close to May as she quietly watched the room, her eyes growing ever tired.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This covers Frankie’s idea of Daisy after opening the portal and Guests request of Mama May and Daisy bonding. Hope you enjoyed this. Im currently working on another May/Daisy centric chapter, one focusing on Daisy’s journey with her diabetes and one for Daisy in isolation.  
> Still taking requests if there’s anything you’d like to see covered, particularly right now if it is for Bobbi or Jemma since I have 3 Daisy centric chapters in the works but I will still accept suggestions for storylines for her.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> May looks after an unwell Daisy who isn’t fit to go on a mission

May had a soft smile, one reserved only for her loved ones as she watched Daisy sleep beside her. It was just them today with Bobbi and Jemma out on a mission since late last night with the rest of the team. Daisy was unwell and the mission could still run smoothly enough without May so they had stayed behind. May held her youngest girl close, gently stroking her hair. The girl seemed to be looking not quite as sickly as she did earlier so that was a relief but May was still glad that they had decided to stick behind as she wanted her to be able to recover fully. A small part of her liked taking care of Daisy, not obviously wishing her to be unwell more often but they barely got to just spend some time together.

Daisy eventually stirred awake about half an hour later, feeling the calming sensation of May stroking her hair she smiled up gently at her mom.

“Hey, how are you feeling now?” May asked her and Daisy gave a tiny shrug.

“Not as bad, but still pretty rough. Least I don’t feel the need to eject my lungs or throw up the entirety of my stomach any more” Daisy said, and May was glad she was feeling a little better. She gently took the girls pulse and temperature whilst she was coming round, reassured by the fact they were at much more normal levels.

“Everyone’s on a mission so its just us today, we can quickly do your insulin shot and then I’ll make us omelettes for breakfast” May told her and Daisy agreed quietly. She prepared the syringe and quickly injected it into the girls arm as she did in a morning since it was important to switch around the sites used. Then they made their way into the kitchen, Daisy still in her pyjamas though May had taken a moment to have a quick wash and change into fairly standard day clothes. She cooked up the omelettes and placed one on a plate in front of Daisy who ate it slowly and distractedly which worried the older agent a little.

“It’s been a while since we had a day just to ourselves. Is there’s anything you’d like to do, movies you’d like to watch?” May asked, usually Daisy would be buzzing with ideas and would jump at the chance to introduce May to one of her current favourite shows or funny videos she had found on YouTube. However, being sick had drained her energy and she simply shrugged. May carried her gently to the couch, picking out a blanket she knew Daisy liked and spreading it over her before tucking her in. She handed Daisy a small stuffed animal and the girl hugged it close to her chest.

They ended up just watching something off Netflix for a little while, May was eating some plain popcorn and occionally Daisy would dip her hand into the bucket for some but it seemed her appetite wasn’t quite back up to normal yet. She was content to just lean on May whilst wrapped in her little blanket cocoon and half pay attention to the movie. Daisy yawned once the movie had finished and May allowed her to sleep again for a little while, helping her get comfortable before she headed over to the table and got on with some paperwork.

As night fell and the others returned from the mission, Daisy was still curled up on the couch watching a movie. She had slept on and off during the day, occasionally May would come sit with her for a bit and had made sure she got her midday insulin plus some lunch when she felt up to it. Bobbi and Jemma sat on either side of her, and it just felt nice.

“I’m glad you’re back safe” Daisy said softly, taking Jemma’s hand whilst her head leant on Bobbi’s shoulder. May spread a big blanket across the three of them and smile as she watched her girls just comfortably exist together.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team recover after Jemma was saved from the portal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all your comments and kudos and subscriptions it means a lot that people are enjoying this fic

Jemma hadn’t spoken since they rescued her. It was a mixture of her voice being weak anyway from not being used nearly as often whilst she was stranded alone on the planet and also she just didn’t have the energy or capability to speak right now. Usually when she went non verbal due to something with her being autistic, it would just happen temporarily for a short space of time but she would gain back her speech after the inevitable meltdown (going non verbal was often a warning sign for her that she was overwhelmed and heading towards a meltdown). However, her brain just wouldn’t form the words and she was grateful right now that her family knew sign so that she could communicate. Bobbi was translating her sign for the other doctor who was helping to examine her, Daisy was sat holding her hand by the bed and May was sat on the bed itself with Jemma in her lap, holding her carefully. It was the safest Jemma had felt in months, surrounded by her loved ones and grounded by the touch of being in Mays arms and Daisy holding her hand. Bobbi eventually seemed to stop flickering around and walked over.

“We’re done for now” she signed, giving May and Daisy a small smile each before reaching to press a quick affectionate kiss on Jemma’s forehead, careful to avoid the scar that still ran across her eyebrow. May shifted so she could stand up, taking one of Jemma’s hand as she helped her stand from the bed with Daisy quickly making her way to hold Jemma’s other hand and help steady her. They set off back towards their room, May noticed that Bobbi was limping hard and she was keeping an eye on Daisy in case her symptoms from being in the portal room came back. It was clear all three of her girls had been through a lot lately and they would each need some care. She helped Jemma over to the bed first, signing to her that she would be back in a minute and asking Daisy to help the girl settle comfortably whilst she went back for Bobbi. The girl had stopped a few metres away from the door, breathing heavily as she tried to catch her breath, clearly exhausted and in pain.

May had to enlist some help in the form of Mack, after all even with her strength Bobbi was significantly taller than her and she couldn’t support the girls full weight to help her back to the room. Even Mack seemed to be struggling a tiny amount as he practically had to carry Bobbi, helping her lay down on the bed nearest the door once they eventually arrived. He then went over to make a fuss over Daisy and Jemma whilst May sat with Bobbi and checked her knee. Daisy and Jemma were curled up on the bed together, Jemma still clinging to her friends hand like a lifeline.

“It’s good to have you back, Jemma” Mack told her and smiled at the small smile he got in return before turning his attention to Daisy “And you, tremors. You did good” 

“She’s safe” Daisy said, her voice still holding disbelief as this, like somehow she thought the Jemma next to her was a hallucination, she couldn’t quite believe that they had pulled it off and gotten Jemma back. Mack took her other hand and after gaining permission from Jemma, gently placed it on the small scientists neck, over her pulse point.

“Feel that, she’s real. You did it” Mack said softly and tears streamed down Daisy’s face as she felt the pulse under her fingers. This was real, her best friend wasn’t dead. She was here, back home. Daisy buried her face into Jemma’s shoulder to cry, the girl seemed torn as it wasn’t uncomfortable per say and she wanted Daisy to be okay but it was causing a twinge of pain. May noticed this as she walked over, Mack having now gone to quickly check on Bobbi before he retired back to his own room. May carefully and gently lifted Daisy away, a quiet promise that they were all okay. They ended up with the two beds pushed together that night, all four needing to know that the others were there and their family was complete once again.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jemma gets bullied for being autistic by some new lab techs, but May is determined to let her daughter know that she allowed to be who she is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to delicatelyglitterywriter for the prompt, hope you enjoy this. Trigger warning for ableist comments and use of the r-word by the bullies of this story. Obviously I am in no way promoting use of that language, those are bad people.

Jemma was moving around the lab as she usually did, her movements graceful and quick as she was fully into her work. She had been working on this particular piece for a while, and there was just one little thing that had been alluding her. Finally it all fit into place and she smiled triumphantly at her now finished project. She let herself happy flap, the stimming felt nice and let her really feel like she had done a good job. However, one of the new lab techs had never seen this before and sniggered at her. She heard him and turned around, confused, trying to find the source of the noise whilst her hands still fluttered gently at her sides.

“You look like you’re preparing for take off” he sniggered at her, mimicking her actions with an exaggerated look on his face the tech then nudged his nearby colleague and repeated the impression, both of them laughing. Jemma felt hurt, quickly pressing her arms to her sides she looked at them with an upset expression as they just continued to laugh, her eyes watering.

“Oh stop being such a baby retard Simmons” another tech who had joined in the mocking said to her as the first one now did an impression of her current upset face and pointed out that as hard as her tried her hands were still flapping slightly “Seriously, two phds and the woman can’t take a joke. She’s brain dead, should be locked up on the psych ward not here messing around with science” 

He walked over and picked up the project she had been working on, smirking. Jemma dove over, trying to pull it out of his hands.

“Please, that’s taken me a very long time to complete” Jemma said and he just kept smirking at her, releasing his hold at the moment she pulled back and the metal contraption hit the floor. Jemma gasped, both from the loud noise it made and the fact that her newly completed project was now broken. She couldn’t stop the tears from falling now, the laughter getting louder and louder as the three who had been mocking her stood laughing. She sank to her knees on the floor, sobbing with her hands pressed tightly over her ears. Thankfully for her, it was her usual lunchtime and right on time May walked in to pick her up. 

May surveyed the scene, it wasn’t the first time Jemma had been curled up on the floor of the lab crying, though something felt off. She seemed extremely upset, there was a piece of broken machinery next to her which May assumed might have been the trigger but as far as she knew Jemma hadn’t been having a bad day so far and that didn’t seem enough to elicit this kind of response from the girl. Then she looked towards a group of lab techs, three of the new ones they had hired. They were still quietly sniggering though when May looked at them they all gulped and seemed to stop, looking guilty.

“Do you have anything to do with this?” She went over to them and asked, folding her arms over her chest and pinning them with a stare “Well? Tell me”

“We were just mucking around, teasing her playfully like. Just a bit of general jokes, she thought it was funny till she dropped that and started crying cos it broke” one of them said with a shrug, trying to look innocent.

“It wasn’t anything like that” Coulson said from the door, tablet in his hand. He had been monitoring the feed, debating if it was best to go in and break things up he was about to when May had arrived “I have proof from the feed, you were harassing Dr Simmons and mocking her disability” 

May looked like there was fire in eyes, nobody mocked her daughters like that, for something they just did or coped with a little differently than most. She saw red, about to launch into a tirade against the three when a whimper behind her broke her focus. She turned around and saw Jemma looking up at her with tearful eyes, and knew what her main priority was.

“Director Coulson, I can assume you will deal with these disciplinary measures” She said, shooting at glare back at the three. Coulson nodded and ordered them to follow him, leaving the room. May carefully approached Jemma, crouching down.

“Hey Jemma, it’s okay they’ve gone now. You’re okay” May soothed her and was slightly taken aback when the girl launched herself into her arms for a hug. May sat down on the floor and let Jemma lean on her, stroking her back and soothing her as she let out the last of her tears.

“Let’s move somewhere more comfortable, okay?” May said once the girls tears had subsided, getting up before helping Jemma up. The girl looked at her desk and the broken project with a whimper.

“Don’t worry about those, you have the rest of the day off. They will get sorted out but right now you need some calm” May said, her voice carrying an air of authority. Jemma simply nodded and let May lead her to the common room. Most people had gone back to work by now so it was quiet, only Bobbi was still in there eating her sandwich. May lead Jemma to the couch and sat her down, looking up when Bobbi approached.

“Some of the new lab techs were making fun of her” May told her quietly, adding “Don’t worry, Coulson is dealing with them” when she saw fire in Bobbi’s eyes to rival what she had felt when she first found out. The taller woman sat down next to Jemma on the couch and looked after her whilst May got them some lunch, happily they had Jemma’s favourite as she knew after that stress the girl wouldn’t have much of an appetite. She brought it back over and sure enough Jemma turned her head away from the plate. Bobbi gently encouraged and coaxed her into eating a few bites in the natural pauses between her story, she was great at memorising facts and knew that Jemma loved to hear them. 

May watched them, the facts about some scientific history were going over her head but the distraction seemed to be working in that Jemma’s plate was nearly half empty by the time she started refusing. Bobbi looked up to May who nodded and took the rest of the plate, wrapping the food up and placing it in the fridge in case the girl wanted some more later. She let Jemma lean on her when she sat down next to her, stroking her hair.

“Do you want to talk about what happened?” Bobbi asked, and Jemma opened her mouth a few times but no sound could come out. She felt herself getting frustrated, hitting her head off her knees a couple of times until Bobbi’s hands on her shoulders and Mays calming voice gently pulled her out of it. May handed her a chew toy to work out her aggression on in a safer way.

“Can you sign it to us?” May suggested but Jemma shook her head. After comfirming that she still did want to tell them, Bobbi then pulled out her notebook and pen from her backpack that was still by the table, bringing it back over to Jemma who was still chewing aggressively on the thankfully durable chew.

“Maybe you can write it down for us?” Bobbi suggested and Jemma thought it over a moment before slowly nodding, taking the notebook and pen. She wrote for a few minutes, her hands still a little shaky before she put it down eventually and signed that she was finished.

“They called me a retard, I was happy flapping because I’d finished my project and they mocked me for it. Then one of them got my project and dropped it on the floor” May read out Jemma’s words and Bobbi held the girl a little bit tighter.

“You know they had no reason to mock you, flapping is just something you do which feels nice for you and that’s okay. You shouldn’t have to hide it or stop doing it. And you are definitely not that word” May told her “You are smart and strong and yes autistic but those traits help make you amazing, and we love you for who you are”

Jemma settled down on the couch, May took the hint that she just wanted to rest for a bit so she handed her a different chew and turned on the tv for herself and Bobbi to watch a little whilst Jemma rested.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The story of how Daisy got diagnosed with diabetes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys, in honour of diabetes awareness month I intend to write a few chapters focusing on Daisy and her diabetes. I had hoped to get this one up sooner but life got in the way, this is a flashback to her diagnosis. I already do have another idea plus a prompt someone left that ties in with this so hoping I can get those up sometime soon. For now I hope you enjoy this.

May walked into the kitchen, surprised to see Daisy refilling her water bottle once again. She seemed to be doing that more than was standard. Even though the girl had only been with them for about a year at this point, she was her daughter now and just had a feeling that something was wrong. May rolled her eyes internally at the thought of having some sort of mothers intuition for her fairly new young charge. However, she made a point in her mind to keep an eye on Daisy, approaching her to continue their training session.

A few days passed and May had kept a close eye on Daisy. She had upped their training schedule just a little, started when May had become her SO, wanting to increase the muscle building exercises in particular to see if her hypothesis was true, and it seemed to be so. Daisy was actually losing some muscle bulk that she had been building up. Her weight was dropping quite quickly too, though she had been steadily losing some weight with training which was normal it seemed to have kicked into a higher gear, becoming much more rapid. 

May headed into their bedroom the next afternoon, Jemma was away working within Hydra and though she was missing her daughter she knew that things were at least okay thanks to Coulson checking in (she wished that she could’ve gone but it wasn’t possible, he needed to know any intel she had collected anyway so checked up at the same time). However, this meant the room was just her and Daisy right now, generally just sharing the double bed though there was a single bed too that the girl slept on occasionally. Daisy was curled up in the middle of the double bed, yawning heavily she looked that she had just woken up. May had caught her yawning quite a few times in the past few days, looking like she was permanently tired Daisy had made a joke about having “low battery”. Though when it turned out when May had eased up slightly on their training schedule and even given her that morning off her health hadn’t improved at all, continuing on its steady decline. She could now visibly see Daisy’s shirt hang off her thin almost frail looking frame as she approached the bed, sitting down beside her.

“How are you feeling? Any better?” May asked, though she had guessed the answer already from the clues around her daughter. Daisy shook her head, straining her head to look at May. The woman picked up a book from the bedside table, it was her thing to read before bed but it made for a helpful test of her suspicion. 

“Daisy, read me the blurb from this” May said, handing her the book. Daisy was squinting to even see the title, and tears fell from her eyes.

“I can’t, everything just feels kinda blurry” Daisy said quietly, resting her head on Mays shoulder when the woman sat up next to her on the bed and gently pulled her in close “Mama, I’m scared” her voice sounded so quiet and unsure, like she’d never had an opportunity to admit that before and actually be offered help when she was upset or sick, which gave May a twinge of pain for her precious girl.

“It’s okay love, it’s okay. We’re going to take you to the doctors and they can help you I’m sure” May soothed her, letting Daisy rest against her as she rang a shield medical facility which was the closest to the playground. They agreed that from the symptoms May described it sounded like she needed a priority appointment and thankfully had one open pretty soon. May thanked them, getting herself and Daisy sorted. She noticed the bruise still on Daisy’s arm that hadn’t seemed to fade at all since she had gained it a few days ago tripping over in the kitchen, and a small cut on her cheek from a training accident also was healing slowly. She pressed a soft kiss to the girls forehead and helped her into a large warm hoodie before they set off.

The two waited in the holding room of the shield medical facility, May filled in the forms with minimal help which was also a maternal instinct. It was strange to think of herself as a mother still sometimes, even with both Jemma and Daisy now but occasionally she would catch herself in situations like this feeling that motherly things were so natural to her. They both headed into the room when called, the doctor talked to Daisy about her symptoms and with the info from May as well, she did a blood test and booked an appointment tomorrow to discuss the results.

When the next day came around, Daisy was sat in the office with May holding her hand when the doctor told her the diagnosis.

"Diabetes?" Daisy questioned, she had heard of it but had never thought it possible for her to have it

"Yes, you have what we call late onset type one diabetes. We're going to have to start you on insulin injections to help bring your blood sugar under control" the doctor started to explain. May gave her hand a reassuring squeeze, taking in all the information and accepting the pamphlets from the doctor. Daisy seemed to be in a bit of daze, it was pretty big news after all and though she'd been sick to know it was caused by something she'd now be dealing with for the rest of her life was obviously daunting.

May got Daisy tucked up in her favourite blanket on the couch when they got back, thankfully the base seemed quiet though also the silence was proving stressful.

"So much has changed in my life in such a short space of time" Daisy finally said, and May turned to look at her. She saw a hint of the vulnerability the girl had displayed when she was brand new to their team, just a young girl living out of her van trying to find her parents, but also she had lost that slight naivety and belief that everything could turn out okay. Melinda still had her suspicions that things would be okay, but it was a big change after several other mayor things had happened to her daughter as well recently. 

"You'll be fine. I'm here, we can approach this like we've done before, find a plan that works and help you feel better" Melinda stroked Daisy's hair softly "You can still be you, still be a field agent once we've got it initially more under control but you'll always be more than just your struggles, you're a person. An amazing person I'm lucky to have in my life"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I now have a writers tumblr at writingagentsandcanaries so feel free to come say hello and see updates from what I'm working on. I might post up little snippets or ask for input at some points. Thank you so much for all the comments, kudos and general support for this fic it makes me so happy


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daisy's first insulin injections

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So a quicker but slightly shorter update here, kind of a continuation from the last chapter. Hope you enjoy!

"I have to do four of these a day?!" Daisy exclaimed as she read the information about her insulin injections. It was just a little before bedtime and after getting one insulin shot at the hospital that afternoon with the nurse showing May how to do it and also allowing Daisy to practice how she could inject herself they now had to begin the task of administering them daily. There was extra info in the pamphlet too, once Jemma was back they could teach her how too in case May wasn't around and Daisy herself wasn't up to it but the scientist was likely to pick up the technique pretty quickly anyway.

"Afraid so, but it looks okay. We have four parts of the body the injections can be administered into; upper arms, abdomen, thighs and butt" May said, having read and memorised the pamphlet earlier along with doing her own research for tips and information. She just liked to be prepared. The older woman bit her lip to stifle a laugh when Daisy looked comically shocked at the imagine of that last injection site.

"Mom, I love you, but I don't think we're ready for you to inject me in the butt" Daisy said, flopping down onto the bed with a dramatic sigh she couldn't help but laugh a little. That sentence is not something she ever thought she would say, but in context it made sense.

"Well it does say you need to alternate the injection sites, but we can use the different areas of your belly and alternate your arms" May nodded, motioning Daisy to lie down properly on the bed so that she was facing upwards. She gently rolled the girls shirt up so that it now rested higher up to give access to her abdomen.

"It said the best place to start and most absorbent place is your abdomen so we'll start there" May said, she began to set up the syringe as practiced. She could see and tell that Daisy was cringing at the sight of it, resting the now loaded syringe carefully on the bedside table for a moment. 

“It’s not pleasant I know, but it’s going to be okay. I promise. We can settle into a routine of it” May nodded, gently rubbing Daisy’s arm in a soothing motion.

“Can we just....get it done, for now” Daisy said a little shakily, closing her eyes and focusing on her breathing. May rubbed her arm once more before reaching for the syringe. She positioned it, careful to keep it at least two inches away from her belly button, before injecting the syringe into Daisy’s abdomen. She held it until the liquid had drained out, Daisy’s eyes opened for a quick peek whilst the liquid was still draining into her system and watched May pull the syringe out once it was finished. May gave her a small smile.

“Well done” she said, disposing of the materials in a safe box before walking back over to Daisy, who shifted over gently onto her side of the bed rather than the middle so that May could lay down next to her. May let the girl snuggle up to her and clamp to her side, even though usually she would just let her have a quick hug then gently shift her in a more comfortable position. She had become a lot better with touch and physical contact since she had taken in her girls, better with letting them hug and curl up to her. Jemma was more shy with it, only wanting an occasional quick hug or short cuddles if she wasn't feeling well but Daisy was very outwardly affectionate, always wanting to be near her. She smiled and stroked Daisy's hair softly as the girl rested beside her, pulling up some more information on how to make the injections run smoother and sort a routine out on her phone whilst she comforted her daughter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks as ever for all the comments, kudos and general love for this fic. Feel free to visit me on Tumblr writingagentsandcanaries and to leave any prompts particularly for diabetes awareness month


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daisy has a bad hypoglycemic attack while out on a mission, which worries everyone. Bobbi has to step up to the plate and help her family, but May reminds her that her own pain shouldn’t just be ignored either.

The mission had gone well, they got the intel required and took out a couple of hydra thugs to boot. All in all things seemed to be good, it had been successful by all accounts May agreed as she set the plane into auto pilot once it had reached cruising altitude. Though even with all that, there was something niggling at her mind. A thought that everything wasn’t as good as it should be. She pulled herself up off the chair and headed into the back of the plane where her three daughters sat. Usually they avoided being on a mission all together, as sometimes that could be a bad thing and make it more dangerous since they weren’t on their best if they were constantly worried or might get distracted. 

May approached the girls, Jemma was fidgeting with a small chew toy kept safe in Bobbis mission pack. The oldest girl had all the supplies needed and sorted out into safe pouches of her pack, she enjoyed being organised and feeling like she was helpful. May checked in with Jemma to make sure she was okay, but she could tell by the girls body language that it was more her just stimming to relax and process what had happened on the mission rather than anxious on the verge of a breakdown stimming. Bobbi herself was just sat quietly, picking at her nails. She stopped when May looked over to her, hiding her hands from view. May knew that was an anxious habit of the girls, they were still working on her feeling like she was allowed to swim and allowed to just be herself so she knew Bobbi wouldn’t have brought a fidget toy with her in the pack for herself. She tried to think of an alternative but her attention was caught by Jemma who had stood and was lightly tapping her.

“Are you okay?” She asked, wrapping an arm round her daughter a moment in a one armed hug.

“Yeah, but I think somethings wrong with Daisy” Jemma said, looking back to the youngest worriedly. May looked over too, the girl seemed to be a little out of it and stuck in a sort of haze “She couldn’t remember what happened on the mission, asked me where we were and why we’re here”

This triggered something May had stored in the back of her mind, some information from looking through lots of research since she took on her girls and particularly since Daisy had gotten her diagnosis. She thought over them, Daisy seemed confused as Bobbi tried to talk with her and clearly there might be a memory issue after what Jemma had told her.

“Daisy, can you come here a moment?” She called over. The girl didn’t register her name being called and it took Jemma walking over and calling her Skye before she looked up. Jemma gestured for her to stand and she did, but was wobbly on her feet and they headed back over towards May. That was another thing to tick off on her mental list of symptoms. May gestured for Bobbi to join them too, knowing that since Jemma and herself had been up earlier that the oldest blonde was the one to ask.

“Did she have breakfast this morning?” May asked and Bobbi thought on it a moment before she gasped and shook her head. Daisy still seemed confused, whispering to Jemma “who is she?” with a gentle point in Bobbi’s direction. That was all the evidence needed for May to decide what was going on.

“I think she’s having a hypoglycemic attack, she needs some sugar” May turned to Bobbi, who to her credit was masking any sadness she might have felt about Daisy not remembering her. The blonde nodded and rushed back over for her pack, knowing she had food in there. She rummaged through for the food, eventually finding it she turned around triumphantly only to see Daisy fall to the floor. Bobbi gasped as the girl started having a seizure, gently moving Jemma out of the way and holding her hand.

"Its okay, we have to let her ride it out before we can do anything else" Bobbi said, Jemma just looked terrified and even May seemed a little scared. Bobbi grabbed her pack again, taking out the emergency glycogen. They hadn't had to use it before and Bobbi had hoped she was just being extra cautious and wouldn't have to but now it seemed the only way.

"We can't give her food after a seizure, but she's still in desperate need of sugar. This will help" Bobbi said, she looked to Jemma who's hands were shaking and still looked terrified. The brunette girl had more medical training than her but she didn't look in any fit state to assess the situation and look after Daisy so Bobbi knew she had to do it. She walked back over and encouraged Jemma to take Mays hand instead whilst she prepared the shot.

Daisy was no long seizing so Bobbi carefully approached, kneeling down beside her before injecting the glycogen into the girls arm. She put the used syringe in a safe place until they got back to base and she could put it in the proper disposal, getting the portable monitor to check daisys blood sugars after a few minutes. It seemed to have come back down to almost the right level now and she let out of sight of relief.

"She's stable, it's okay" Bobbi turned to the other two, smiling when Daisy opened her eyes. She held her hand and Jemma rushed over, lying next to her to hug her close whilst May stroked her hair gently.

"What happened?" Daisy asked groggily, her hand gently rubbing Jemmas back as the girl was clamped to her side.

"You had a hypoglcemic attack, which resulted in a seizure. Bobbi managed to get your blood sugars back down to what they should be, but you gave us all quite a fright" May said, looking up when her co pilot walked in to say they were near to landing. She nodded and gave Daisy a quick kiss on the forehead before she got up, following him back to the cockpit. Bobbi had to encourage Jemma to let go a moment so she could pick Daisy up and help her back to her seat, the girls were then sat next to each other with their hands intertwined as the plane finally landed back at base. 

Bobbi ended up carrying Daisy to the med bay, they thought it was best to get her checked over properly before retiring to their room. Jemma was still fussing over her friend, it was her way to show that she cared but May had to intervene on occasion when Jemma got in the way of the doctor trying to do his job. 

Once he had checked her over and said she was doing okay, just needed to take it easy for a day or so and have her sugars more closely monitored than normal, May let Jemma guide Daisy back to their room, saying she would catch them up. She had been watching Bobbi who was sat on the bench off to the side, grimacing in pain and rubbing her knee every so often. May knew that the girl would never admit out loud that it was hurting and that she needed help, and sure enough once the other girls started leaving she stood up too, wincing as a pain shot through her knee with moving it.

"Bobbi" May said, stopping in front of the girl. The girl whined and tried to get past her but May put a comforting hand on her shoulder, gently rubbing it. A few seconds later Bobbi started crying and May pulled her into a hug, rubbing her back.

"Its okay if you're in pain, you shouldn't compare it to what Daisy just went through and you shouldn't ignore it thinking it's not worth sorting out" May told her, before calling the doctor over. They got Bobbi sat up on the table and he checked her knee, deciding that she had perhaps kneeled down on it too heavy or at a weird angle, and that it was also overworked from the days events. He bandaged it up for her and gave her crutches so that she could keep some weight off it. 

They were finally all back in their room. Jemma and Daisy were curled up together on a bed, Bobbi looked over to the single but seemed a little sad to miss out on the more comfort and space of a double bed. 

“I’ll take the spare, you take my bed” May told her, giving Bobbi a quick hug when the girl seemed relieved and thanked her. She sat down on the single, it wasn’t as comfortable sure but she didn’t mind, it was worth it to have her girls safe and comfortable. The woman kept an eye on her two youngest, knowing she would have to go do Daisy’s nightly insulin before the girl fell too deeply asleep but she could leave them for a little while longer, watching over her family as they could finally relax after their long hard day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is from a prompt I received on my tumblr writingagentsandcanaries. I hope you enjoyed it!  
> Thanks as always for all the kudos, comments and love


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daisy forgets her insulin injection one day after a mission, but luckily between her doctor sisters and her moms instincts they know how to help.

The day had been extremely busy, and it caught them off guard. A sudden threat had meant an emergency mission with barely any planning. Thankfully, all of that had gone smoothly and they were back at the playground by mid afternoon. May had made sure that Daisy ate whilst they were on the plane, having stored some lunches on the plane which had a long shelf life so they would always be prepared. Bobbi and Jemma went into the kitchen to make their own lunches once they had arrived back at base, Daisy following behind them she sat up at the counter to watch whilst May had gone to debrief with Coulson. 

“Your bread looks so much like the normal stuff” Daisy wondered as she watched Bobbi making a sandwich on her specific board with some gluten free bread. Bobbi rolled her eyes, tearing off a tiny piece of bread for Daisy to try. 

“I only wish it cost the same, thank god this place are willing to accommodate” Bobbi said, putting her sandwich onto a plate before moving to sit next to Daisy.

“Well if they didn’t then May would kick their butts” Daisy said with a slight laugh, though it was completely true they knew. Bobbi smiled, tucking into her sandwich. She glanced over to Jemma who was still in the process, looking pensively at an open packet of ham.

“Jem, it’s okay. I saw Hunter open the packet this morning. Why he thinks a ham sandwich is a good breakfast.....but it’s fine. It’s safe” Bobbi reassured her, Daisy got up and after taking a moment to check Jemma was okay with it, she gave the girl a hug and gently held her shoulders a minute, comforting her and comforting that it really was okay. She watched the girl make her sandwich, putting the extras away after before they rejoined Bobbi who had now finished and washed her plate up. 

Daisy rested her head on the taller girls shoulder, a strange wave of dizziness hit. It was a similar feeling she got to when she had missed a meal but she’d had her lunch pretty much on time, May had seen to that. She figured maybe she was confused from watching the others eat. Bobbi seemed to pick up she wasn’t feeling so well and gently lifted her, moving to the couch with Daisy carefully sat on her lap.

“You okay? You seem tired and like you’re struggling to focus on anything” Bobbi said, gently pressing her hand to the girls forehead. Daisy let out a whine of frustration, hiding her face in Bobbi’s shoulder again. The noise drew Jemma over who had just finished her food and washed up as well as May who had just entered the room and took in the sight.

“We should check her blood glucose levels, she seems to be displaying some early symptoms of hyperglycaemia” Jemma concluded in her formal doctor voice, going over to her bag for the kit. May sat next to Bobbi and Daisy, carefully brushing the youngest girls hair from her forehead. She thought over Jemma’s analysis whilst she did the test, suddenly remembering something. 

“Daisy, did you have your insulin before your lunch?” May asked, the girl thought it over before shaking her head with a sigh.

“I guess I forgot in all the rush of an emergency mission, I remembered to eat at least but I was mostly so focused on not forgetting that” Daisy said, as Jemma then spoke

“That would certainly explain her blood glucose levels, they’re far too high. She needs some insulin to stabilise it again” Jemma said. May quickly retrieved an emergency insulin injection she had stored for this very purpose, Bobbi aiding in this as she held Daisy steadily on her lap and held her top so that May could do the injection into the girls stomach. Jemma stood and watched, still in her analytic science mood and checked the girls levels again after a few moments to check that it was working.

“More stable now, you should be fine but we’ll need to monitor you more closely for the next 24 hours to make sure” Jemma said. She got everything set away again whilst May talked to Daisy.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to miss it” Daisy said, moving off Bobbis lap now she snuggled into Mays side. The older woman kissed the top of her head.

“It’s ok, I know you didn’t. We’ll just have to work on making sure you remember before every meal, you’re doing so well with the timings of your meals now it should all come into place perfectly. It’s going to be okay, we’re all here for you”


End file.
